Snath



R. P. STINE March 21, 193'3.

SNATH Fil'edJan. 1'7, 1931 Patented Mar. 21, 1933 UNITED sTATEs RUBY P. STINE, OF SHELBYVILLL' INDIANA i sNArH Apjnieation filed Jamiar 17, 1981. serial No. 509,854.

My invention relates to a means for securing a scythe to a snath.

For fastening a scythe `to its associated snath the scythe is usually provided with a tang in the form of an arm integral with that end of the scythe whichis to be attached to the snath, and extending in the same direction as does the cutting edge ofthe bladeat substantially a right angle to the back of the blade. The free end of the tang is usuallly bent over to form a lug for co-operating with a depression or hole in a face plate secured to the snath-butt.

The face plate is usually a flat plate secured to a fiattened portion of the butt of the snath on one side thereof. The tang of the Scythe lies flat against this plate with the lug at its free end projecting through the opening provided in the plate, and is clamped in position against the blade by some suitable means. Such a device is shown in Patent No. 1,589,354 issued June 227 1926 to John VV.

oren.

Since the tang of the Scythe is usually very nearly co-planarV with the scythe blade, and since when it is' attached to the snath the tang is substantially parallel withthe lower portion of the snath; the blade is Very nearly coplanar with this lower portion of the snath.

lVhen such a scythe is in use, it is necessary for the snath to be held at a rather small angle to the ground in order that the Cutting edge of the scythe may be more nearly perpendicular to thestalks of grass or other material being cut. a

It is the object of my invention to provide a fastening means for securing a scythe to a snath in a position in which the-Scythe blade lies in a plane at a considerable angle to the butt of the snath, so that the snath may be held more upright in operation while still permitting a nearly perpendicular relation between the blade of the scythe and the material being cut.

To this end, I employ -a face plate similar to that shown in the Boren Patent No. 1,589,354, but I dispose vthe tang-supporting portion of the plate in a tilted relationlto the but'i of the snath rather than parallel therewit i. v

'VVhen a scythe having a substantially coplanar blade and tang is secured by the'tang tomy tilted face plate, the tang of the' blade is held at a considerableangle to the butt end of the snath,and the'blade being substantially co-planar with the tang is also Vdisposed in a tilted position with respect to the snath; and in use flthe' snath be held in 'a relativelyupright position while still maintaining a nearly perpendicular relation between the scythe blade andthe material which is being cut.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my w invention Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the butt end of thev snath, the fastening' means of which embodies my invention; F 2 isV a plan of the same snath-butt; Fig. 8 is a section through the clamping ring on vthe'line 3 3 of Fig. 1;iand Fig. 4 is a perspective viewv of the snath-butt with the face plate in position.

As in the device disclosed in the Boren Patent N0, 1,589,354, the snath-butt 10 is provided with flat portions on the opposite faces. On that flat portion on the upper side of the snath-butt there is a clamping bolt-receiving plate 11 provided with a groove 12 extending longitudinally thereof,V and held in place as by two rivets 13 and 14 extending through the snath-butt 10. y 1 i p In order to provide a face plate whose face 'is'tilted with respect to the'snath-butt, I employ a plate which is offset at that end which is adapted to lie away fromjthe end' of the snath-butt, and which comprises a flat portion 20, and' awall 21 which extends from the upper end of the fiat portion=20toward the snath-butt and is provided at'its edge whichv lies against the snath-butt witha fiange22. The face-plate' is desirably secured to the snath-'butt by means o f the rivets l'an'd 14 which also hold the bolt re'ceiving plateill in place. w i

` The wall 21 may be of any'desired height; and upon its heightdepends the angular relation between` the tang of the'scytheblade and the snath-butt; and consequently the' angle ati y :co-planar i which the 'scythe blade is out'of relation with the snath-butt. 'o Thus, the

greater the height of 'the :wall 421' the more nearly upright the snath may be held while still Inaintaining a substantially perpendicnlar relation between the scythe blade and the material which is being cut.

I desirably close the sides of the face plate between the flat portion and the wall 21 by walls 28 extending from the lateral edges of the flat portion to thesnath-butt and integral with both the flat portion 20 and the wall 21.

To brace the face plate 20 against stresses which tend to rotate it with respect to the snath-butt, the end of the plate 20 which is i adj acent the end of the snath-butt is provided with a down-turned finger 23 at the side thereof which Will lie toward the scythe blade when such scythe blade is in position; and the flange 22 is provided with a similar downturned finger 24 at the opposite side of the face plate. These fingers eXtend circumferentially of and lie against the snath-butt 10.

I positions of adjustment.

Vwhich is adapted to be received by the hole 26a as noted above. Desirably, there is more than one hole 26 to provide for the adjustment of the scythe in a plurality of positions;

and when this is so the lug 25 desirably has its face 31 ,conveXly curved in order that it may fully support the tang n any of its For securing the-tang30 against rthe flat portion 20 of the face plate, I desirably employ a ring 32 which has a set'screw 33 whose end is adapted to be received in the groove 12 of the plate 11. The ring 32 is desirably large enough to provide considerable looseness of lthe ring on the snath-butt; in order that the ring maybe free to move transversely of the snath-butt 10 and bear against the tang 30 at both of its lateral edges;v and also be free to move longitudinally of the snath-butt 10 to provide easy removal of the tang and scythe from engagement with the snath. Further, the large ring provides for variations in the thickness and width of tangs, and also for difierent angular positions of the ring so that it may fully and firmly engage a tang in any of-theV different angular positions such tang may take by having its lug 27 received vin different onesV of :the holes- 26 in the fiat portion' 20 of the tang receiving plate. It is to be noted that the lug 25. extends from the fiat portion 20 of' the faceplate a distance less than the thiclmess of the tang 30 and accordingly does Vnotvinterfere with the full eontactbetween the ring 32 and the tang 30 along the edge of the tang 30 which is adjacent the lug 25.

When it is desired t'o assemble the scythe and the snath, the ring 32 with its set screw 33 withdrawn is slipped over the tang 30, and the ring and tang are together brought into associationwith the snath-butt 10. The lug 27 of the tangis inserted in one of the holes 26 in the flat portion 20 of the face plate, the ring 32is slid toward the end of the snathbntt-as fa-rV as'L the scythe permits, and the set screw 33 is screwed inwardly against the plate 11 to clamp'the tang 30 in place.

The tang, beingthus clamped in place, the scythe which is integral with the tang 30 is securely held, for the ring bears against the tang 30 at both of its lateral edges and holds the tang firmly against the fiat'portion 20 of the face plate With the lug 27 onthe tang exten'ding into oneoof the holes 26, and with theback of the tang firmly-braced against the face 31 of the lug 25. The scythe is then immovable with respect, to the snath-butt 10 and is held in a. position at a considerable angle out of co-planar relation with the snath-butt. i

It is to be noted that the tilted relation of the fiat portion 20 of the face plate to the bolt-receiving platell prevents any possible movement of the ring 32 away from the end of the snath-butt, and the shape of the tang and its associated scythe prevents any movement of the ring 32 toward the end ofrthe snath-butt. i

' This provision of a tilted tang receiving portion'20 on a tang-receiving plate carried by a flattened portion of the snath secures a tilted relation of the scythe blade with respect to the snath without materially reducing the strength 'of the snath fastening; as

would result were the snath-butt cut ofi' at portion ,being adjacent said side at the e):-

treme end of said snath, supporting means adapted to hold the upper end of said portion a considerable. distance` from said side of the snath and to supportsaid portion throughont substantially its entire length, and means acting against the side opposite saidblade-receivingscythe adapted to engage the exposed face of a tang. and clanip Vsaid a tang, blade, and snath together.V

2. In a snath fastening for detachably fastening to a snath the usual scythe-blade tang, a plate secured to the side of the snath at its scythe-receiving end and having a tang-receiving portion inclined away from. said side of the snath, said tang-receiving porti-on being adjacent said side at the extreme end of said snath7 supp'orting means adapted to hold the upper end of said portion a considerable distance from said side of the snath and to support said portion throughout substantially its entire length, said Side being substantially parallel with the axis of said Scythe receiving end of said snath, and means acting against the side opposite Said plate receiving side adapted to engage the exposed face of a tang and clamp said tang, plate and snath together.

3. In a snath fastening for detachably fas-V tening to a snath the usual Scythe-blade tang, the combination ofa plate secured to the side of the snath at its scythe-receiving end having a tang-receiving portion inclined away from said side of the snath, Said tang-re-` ceiving portion being adjacent said side of the snath 'at the lower end thereof and the upper end of said portion being supported a considerable distance from said side 'of the snath, and a clamping ring of substantially larger diameter than said Scythe-receiving end encirclingisaid snath and Said plate and havino` a set Screw for co-operating with the side of said snath opposite to the plate receiving side toclamp the Scytheblade tang, said plate, and said snath together.

4. In a snath fastening for detachably fastening to a snath the usual Scythe-blade tang having an upturned lug at its free end, a plate member secured to the side of the snath at its blade-receiving end comprising a flat tangreceiving portion, an end wall integral with the end thereof which lies away from the snath-end andV having an integral flange which lies against Said snath and by which said plate member is secured to said snath, and side walls integral with said end wall and said tang-receiving portion extending to the side of said snath, said tang-receiving portion being provided near said end-wall with an opening` for receiving said tang-111g and near its other endiwith an abutment for engaging said tang on the side opposite, to Vthat from which the scythe blade projects. i

5. In a snath fastening for detachably fastening to a snath the usual Scythe-blade tang, a plate member secured to ,the side of the snath at its blade-receiving end comprising a flat tang-receiving portion, an end wall integrai with the end thereof which lies away from the snath-end and having an integral fiange which lies against said snath and by which said plate member is secured to said snath.

6. In a snath Vfastening for detachably fas-V i tening to a snath the usual Scythe-blade tang saidtang-receiving port-ion being provided near said'end-wall'withV an opening forreceivlng said tang-lug and near its other end with an abutment for engagmg said tangon the .side oppositerto that from which the Scythe blade projects.

f T; In a scythe f'astening for detachably fastening to a snath the usual Scythe-blade tang,

thecombination of flattened portions on opposite sides of the snath at the Scythe receiV- ing end thereof, a set-screw'engaging plate on one of Said fiattened sides, and a tang supporting` member lsecured'to the snath on the 'other fiattened Side and including a flat portion tilted with respect to the axis of the snath and against which said tang is adapted to lie and means including a set screw adapted to Vengage said plate for clamping said parts together. i I i 8, In a snath fastening for detachably fastening to a Vsnath the us'ual scythe-blade tang,

aplate member secured against the bottom side of theisnath body at its blade-receiving'.

end and having a flat tang receiving face tilted with lrespect to the snathbody, the end of said face which overlies the extreme end of the snath body being nearer to such snath body 'than the otherend of said face, there being. one or more support-ing'walls extending` froinsaid tang-receiving face and abut- V ting said snath-body. 9'. In a'snath fastening for detachably fastening to a snath the usual Scythe-blade tang,

a plate member secured against the bottom' Side` of the'snath body at its blade-receiving` end and'having a flat tang-receiving face tilted with respect to the snath body, the end of said face which overlies the extreme end of the snath body beingnearer to such snath. Vbody than the other end of said face, there being one or more Supporting walls extending from said tang-receiving face and abut ting. said snath-body, a ring' encirclingsaid snath-end, and means actlng between said` ringf and the Side Vof the snath oppositeV said plate member to clampthe Scythe-blade tang,

said plate, and Said snath-body together.

10'. In a snath fastening for 'detachably fastening to a snath the usual Scythe-blade tang, the combination withthe body portion vof the snath of a generally wedge-shaped plate fastened rigidly against the botto-m side of the bodyportion with its thin edge toward the lowerrend of such body portion, and means for fastening the Scythe-blade tang against `the exposed fiatv surface of said wedge-shaped member so that the plane of the tang will be tilted with respect to the axis of said bodyv portion.

11. Ina snath fastening for detachably fastening to a snath the usual scythe-blade tang, the combination With the bottom side of the snath body of means for supporting the tang in tilted position With its free end considerably farther from the snath body than its end which j oins the scythe-blade, said means including a Wedge-shaped member interposed between said side of the snath and said tang and means acting against the side of the snath body opposte to the tang supporting means adapted to engage the exposed surface of the tang and clamp the tang, tangsupporting means, and snath body together. 12. In a scythe fastening for detachably fastening to a snath the usual scythe blade tang, a tang-receiving member adapted to i present a tang-receivng face tilted With respect to the snath body and closer thereto at '20 the endl of such face which overlies the extreme end of the snath body than at the other` end, and a Wedge-shaped support for said member adapted to transmit to the underlying surface of the snath body forces acting against said tang receiving face.

13. In a scythe fastening for detachably fastening to `a snath the usual scythe blade tang, a tang-receiving member adapted to present a tang-receiving face tilted With respect to the snath body and closer thereto at the end of such face which overlies the eX- treme end of the snath body than at the other end, a generally wedge-shaped support for said member adapted to transmit to the un- '35 derlying surface of the snath body forces acting against said tang reoeiving face, and means reacting against the opposite side of the snath body for pressing a tank against said tang-receiving face.

40 14. In a scythe fastening forvdetachably fastening to'a snath the usual scythe blade tang, a fiattened portion on theside of the snath body, a tang-receiving member on said flattened portion and having a tang-receiving face tilted With respect to the snath body,

the end of such face which overlies the extreme end of the snath body being closer to the snath body than the other end, and thrust transmitting means acting against said fiattened porton and adapted to support said tang-receiving face throughout substantially its entire length.

In witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis, India-na, this 14th day of January, A. D. one thousand 'nine hundred land thirty-one.

RUBY P. sTrNE. 

